10 Hands

10 Things About 10 Hands:

1) They've been around since the mid-'80s in various lineup incarnations, though the brilliant Paul Slavens has been a constant throughout the band's tenure.

2) The band began in Denton when members of Slavens' band the Gonemen fused with members from a band called Zane Grey, who had previously appeared on Star Search.

3) Star Search was a variety show, much like today's American Idol or America's Got Talent, with a little more cheese and a lot less meanness. It was hosted by Ed McMahon, who was Johnny Carson's sidekick on the Tonight Show. (This isn't about 10 Hands, but we figured some of you didn't know.)

4) 10 Hands were a big-shit deal back during all this time. Deep Ellum's star was rising, and 10 Hands was arguably the most popular band besides the New Bohemians.

5) 10 Hands plays a musically sophisticated mix of all sorts of music, that sort of multi-culti Denton-type stuff that was so popular in the mid-'80s.

6) Many of 10 Hands better songs might remind you of Peter Gabriel's good stuff.

7) 10 Hands used to play at the Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum on an almost weekly basis.

8) The great Dallas jazz drummer Earl Harvin had a stint as the drummer in 10 Hands, and he left to be the drummer for Billy Goat, which was also another big-shot band at the time.

9) Paul Slavens plays quite a bit as a solo artist these days. Often he takes phrases or ideas suggested by the audience and creates entire songs around them on the spot. It's pretty freakin' amazing.

10) Some of 10 Hands' oeuvre is a touch dated nowadays, but these are some damn fine musicians—great musicians, actually—and they are a huge part of the history of Dallas music. You should see them.